Egyptian train crash kills 75

December 21, 1995
Web posted at: 7:30 a.m. EST (1230 GMT)

From Correspondent James Martone

CAIRO, Egypt, (CNN)-- At least 75 people are confirmed
dead and 70 injured in the collision of two passenger trains
outside Cairo Thursday morning. An express train en route
from Cairo to Aswan apparently struck the rear of a regular
passenger train stopped at a station in Badrshein, about 21
kilometers (13 miles) from the capital.

As rescue workers began the grim task of searching for
bodies, Badrshein villagers watched in disbelief, none
understanding exactly what caused the two southbound trains
to collide in heavy fog about 8:30 a.m.

Passengers on the morning express train carrying factory
workers say they remember only the screech of brakes, and
then the crash. The second train was en route from the
Cairo suburb of Giza to Beini Suef, to the south on the Nile
River.

Witnesses say the workers' train was going so fast that after
impact it slid onto the top of the passenger train. The
bodies of victims could be seen inside rail cars four hours
after the crash. Medical officials scoured Badrshein asking
for blood donations for the injured.

Officials say they are still looking for an explanation for
the morning tragedy. According to Egypt's Middle East New
Agency, the initial investigation indicates that the engineer
on the Cairo-Aswan train failed to respond to a signal to
halt.